Frequently asked questions

What ages does Elan Preschool accept?

Elan Preschool accepts children from age 2 through age 5, up until they enter first grade. We serve families in Milpitas, South Fremont, and North San Jose from our Milpitas location.

Children are placed in a class partly by age and partly by the skills they already have.

How much does preschool at Elan cost?

Our rates are competitive for Milpitas and the surrounding area. The clearest way to get exact numbers is to request an information packet and we'll send them to you.

There is a non-refundable registration fee to guarantee your child's spot, and it's applied to your first month's tuition.

Request an information packet and we'll include pricing along with the details most parents ask about.

How do I start the enrollment process?

Start by scheduling a tour. We'll show you the school, meet your child, and talk with your family about what you're looking for.

We look at academic skills and at whether your child is ready socially. That look is individual, and afterward we'll share what we observed about skill level, social skills, and communication. We want you to understand our program, and we want to understand what you want for your child.

Schedule a tour or send us a question first.

What if Elan turns out not to be the right fit for my child?

You have a one month trial period, and either you or the school can un-enroll during it without penalty.

We know our program won't suit every child or every family. Some children do much better in a fully play based program, and some families can't meet the scheduling requirements. We'd rather find that out early and honestly than have anyone stuck.

What paperwork do you need before my child can start?

You'll complete an enrollment application, a student information form, and the state licensing forms: Identification and Emergency Information (LIC 700), Child's Preadmission Health History (LIC 702), Physician's Report (LIC 701), Parent's Rights (LIC 995), Personal Rights (LIC 613A), and the Caregiver Background Check disclosure (LIC 995E).

You'll also need official immunization records, which California law requires. If your child enrolls before the physician's form is complete, we need it within 30 days or your child can't legally keep attending.

What teaching method does Elan use?

We don't use Montessori, Reggio Emilia, or any of the other common named methods. We developed our own, built around a balance of academics and play and around teaching each child individually.

In practice that means a child ready to move ahead moves ahead, and a child who needs longer on a skill gets longer. If three children in a class have the alphabet down and seven are still learning it, the program adapts to both groups rather than moving everyone at one pace.

More about how we teach on our program page.

What is your teacher-to-child ratio?

Our tots class runs at no more than nine 2-year-olds per teacher. Our classes for 3 to 5 year olds run at no more than twelve children per teacher.

Those numbers are what make individual pacing possible. A teacher watching nine or twelve children can tell you where each one is on their letters this week, which is the whole point of teaching them one at a time rather than as a class.

What does a typical day look like?

Mornings run on a consistent routine: free play from 8:00, reading class at 9:00, snack at 9:45, then outside play, followed by a tracing, writing, and cutting class at 10:35. The 11:00 class rotates through the week between phonics and numbers, art, science, and pegs and patterns.

Afternoons split by whether a child naps. Nappers have lunch at 11:30, outside play, and nap from 1:00 to 2:30. Non-nappers eat at 12:30 and have workbooks or art and pattern work from 1:00 to 2:00. Both groups have afternoon outside play, an inside snack at 4:00, then storytime and play until 6:00.

The schedule changes from time to time. The current one is always posted at the school.

When do children start learning to read?

Reading is a daily class, every morning from 9:00 to 9:45, and it starts with our youngest students at their own level. Phonics and numbers are taught twice a week on top of that.

Children work at their own pace rather than a class pace, and mastery matters more to us than speed. Most of our students leave well prepared for kindergarten, and more often well ahead of it.

Does my child have to nap?

Every child is offered the chance to rest, but no child is required to sleep. Children who don't normally nap have a variety of classes available during that time instead.

Children nap on individual cots, you will provide the sheet and blanket. Naptime is supervised at all times.

How is Elan different from Transitional Kindergarten?

The short version is class size, individual pacing, and how much reading instruction a child gets in a day. TK is free, which matters, and we think parents should weigh both honestly. We are open about 243 days per year vs 180 days for TK.

We put the comparison in detail on our TK page.

What are your hours?

We're normally open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. There are three pickup times depending on your program: 12:30 p.m. for half day, 3:00 p.m. for extended half day, and 6:00 p.m. for full day.

We close for certain holidays, for staff development and in-service days that add up to around six days a year, and typically for the week of Christmas. Enrolled families get a calendar of every closure for the year. We are typically open 243 days per year.

Do you provide lunch and snacks?

Parents provide lunch and snacks. Send a labeled water bottle too, and we'll refill it from the filtered water at school. We can heat food if you'd like your child to have a warm meal.

We ask that you leave out added sugar. Cookies, cakes, and sweets go back home in the lunch box with a note. If food is forgotten or there isn't enough, we provide nutritious supplemental snacks and meals that meet Title 22 and USDA child nutrition guidelines. Talk to the Director about any special dietary needs.

Does my child need to be potty trained to start?

No. We welcome children who are still potty training and support them with patience and encouragement. You provide the diapers, we provide the wipes.

Accidents are handled calmly and without shame, and no child is punished for one. Children in the tots class are expected to finish potty training before moving up to the next age group, and we'll work with you on a plan if more time or a different approach is needed.

To keep things simple, there is no additional charge for potty training.

How will I know how my child's day went?

We use the Brightwheel app, and we typically update you more than once a day. You'll hear about ordinary things, whether your child ate lunch or we send a good photo from the playground, not only about problems.

You can message teachers through the app any time, and we encourage it. We'll also share your child's progress on their Ability Checklists at regular intervals, and you can ask for a copy or a parent teacher conference whenever you want one.

When should I keep my child home sick?

Keep your child home for a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher, and bring them back only after 24 hours fever free without fever reducing medication. The same 24 hour rule applies after vomiting stops and they can hold down food and liquids, and after diarrhea returns to solid.

We screen every child for illness at arrival, and a child who is contagious or clearly unwell will be sent home. We have specific return guidelines for pink eye, strep, hand foot and mouth, head lice, ringworm, chickenpox, and COVID, flu, and RSV, and the Director can walk you through any of them.

How do you keep children safe during the day?

Children are signed in and out daily through Brightwheel, which state law requires, and only people listed on your child's emergency contact form may pick them up. We'll ask for photo ID at pickup if we need to.

All staff are trained in pediatric first aid and CPR and are mandated reporters. We keep a posted emergency and evacuation plan with designated relocation locations, run fire and earthquake drills regularly, and keep basic survival equipment on site in case you can't reach us quickly. During an emergency, Brightwheel is how we reach you, with a phone call to follow if we don't hear back.

How do you handle discipline?

We start by redirecting a child's attention to something positive rather than by punishing them. If that doesn't work, a child sits out from the group for two or three minutes and is then welcomed back, and we let you know.

There is no corporal punishment, and no making less of a child, name calling, or comparing one child to another. When a child gets upset easily and often, we look for the cause, usually food, sleep, or something that changed at home, because handling the cause works far better than repeatedly removing a child from the group.

Do you go on field trips or provide transportation?

We occasionally take walking field trips to nearby places like the park and the Milpitas Library, one class at a time, with advance notice on the monthly activities calendar. No vehicles or public transportation are used, and children who don't go stay at school with a teacher.

We don't provide transportation to or from school. Parents handle drop-off and pickup.

Are there events for families?

Yes, throughout the year. Diwali, Christmas, Lunar New Year, and Mother's and Father's Day celebrations are typical, plus ice cream socials over the summer and get togethers in between, where parents, students, and staff share good food.

We also host outside vendors who offer optional classes such as gymnastics and music. Those are contracted and paid directly with the vendor, not through the school.

See what's coming up on our events page.